[T3] So my 62 Notch caught fire today!!!!

[Dave Hall]

Subject: RE: [T3] So my 62 Notch caught fire today!!!!

Fuel leak from a perished hose or bad joint with a spigot is the most
likely, or the fuel pipe came out of the carb.

Leaking fuel on a hot engine is likely to get ignited sooner or later, even
if the distributor sparks don't do it.

Bad luck, but I've certainly had leaking hoses after laying the car up for a
few months.  It can be a lot worse quicker with a FI car!  It's worth
allowing the engine to prove itself while you are at home and you can see
and smell any fuel problems.  Cold temperatures can prevent the hoses
sealing, as well as time.

Dave.
UK VW Type 3&4 Club
===================

-----Original Message-----
From: type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org
[mailto:type3-vwtype3.org-bounces at lists.vwtype3.org] On Behalf Of William
McInerney
Sent: 11 April 2011 05:06
To: Type 3 Mail
Subject: [T3] So my 62 Notch caught fire today!!!!


Hey there everyone, 

Today was a nice day in DE. I called out of work to drive my Notch around
town and to have fun while it's running great. Well, I hop on Interstate
I-95 and cruise about 65mph. The total time on the highway was about 3
minutes, and I heard this whooop sound. The car lost power and I pulled to
the shoulder. The guy in the truck next to me was beeping and and making
hand movements like my car just exploded. Guess what, it did. I proceed to
open the decklid while smoking and open up my cover to find a camp-sized
freaking fire in my engine bay and nothing with me to put it out(lesson
learned). My dogs are in the car with no leashes and I am watching this fire
burn on the shoulder of I-95. A guy pulls over within 15 seconds and asks me
if I have a fire extinguisher...reallly. He grabs a coffee cup out of his
truck and I get as much swamp/rain runoff water as I can from this ditch and
pour it on the fire 6 times before its out. Errrrrrr. 

How can I diagnose how the fire started as it seems like it started at the
coil, black wire. However, it burnt anything that would burn in the bay. All
the wires in the bay, fuel lines, hoses, ect. are freaking toasted. What is
salvagable and what may still be useable? It burned for a good 4 minutes at
least. Why does this car not want me to drive it?????

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